March 15 meeting to cover most-hated traffic tangle in Pearland, other transportation issues

Nightmare crossing to be a topic at transportation public meeting

By Jaimy Jones, jjones@chron.com

Published
5:32 pm CST, Sunday, March 4, 2018

This is the unwelcome view that many motorists often face as they head on FM 518 toward Texas 288. Regional transportation authorities say some improvements are planned to help at the intersection, which has been a traffic nightmare for decades. less

This is the unwelcome view that many motorists often face as they head on FM 518 toward Texas 288. Regional transportation authorities say some improvements are planned to help at the intersection, which has ... more

Photo: Kirk Sides

Photo: Kirk Sides

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This is the unwelcome view that many motorists often face as they head on FM 518 toward Texas 288. Regional transportation authorities say some improvements are planned to help at the intersection, which has been a traffic nightmare for decades. less

This is the unwelcome view that many motorists often face as they head on FM 518 toward Texas 288. Regional transportation authorities say some improvements are planned to help at the intersection, which has ... more

Photo: Kirk Sides

March 15 meeting to cover most-hated traffic tangle in Pearland, other transportation issues

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The Houston-Galveston Area Council will stage a March 15 meeting in Pearland on a topic that makes many area residents frown - Traffic issues.

The 6 p.m. meeting at Dawson High School is an invitation for residents and commuters to speak out on what they think is needed to alleviate mobility problems.

"We want people to come and tell us all their complaints and gripes and ideas for how to make things work better," said Alan Clark, director of transportation planning with H-GAC, a regional association of local governments.

One effort under way to address a traffic trouble spot is a $14 million project spearheaded by Brazoria County to reconstruct the Texas 288/FM 518 intersection to add through and turn lanes on FM 518 and turn lanes and traffic signals to Texas 288 frontage roads.

In another project, the intersection will be expanded when toll roads on completed on Texas 288.

"We made additional investment in that location to further improve the operation of Broadway and (Texas 288)," Clark said. "We provided additional funding with help from the city of Pearland and Brazoria County to replace existing bridges on 288 over Broadway. Those bridge columns are being moved back so Broadway can be widened and 518 can have more lanes."

"Improvements to 518 will be pretty significant," Clark said.

'The Gauntlet'

Dozens of residents responding to a Facebook survey mentioned the area around FM 518 (also known as Broadway) and Texas 288 as the worst intersection in the city.

"We call that area 'the gauntlet,' one person wrote.

Others wrote that road expansions to accommodate the nearby Silverlake Village master-planned community have created traffic problems.

"Absolutely the worst design," one person wrote about the community's entrance near Target. "This is a master Unplanned community."